This invention relates to a method for treatment of vascular diseases. More particularly, this invention relates to a method for treating vascular diseases comprising administration by deep intramuscular injection to a patient suffering from said disease of an amount of a dilute aqueous solution of potassium permanganate effective for treating said disease.
The major cause of death in the United States and most industrialized societies is arterial degeneration. The major share of this degeneration is attributable to arteriosclerosis, a generic term for thickening and induration of the arterial wall. One type of arteriosclerosis is atherosclerosis which is a vascular disease characterized by the formation of focal intimal atheromas.
As this disorder, atherosclerosis, progresses the atheromas undergo a variety of complications, (e.g., calcification, internal hemmorhages, ulceration and sometimes superimposed thrombosis). The primary significance of these arterial lesions resides in their potential to produce stenosis and occlusion. Thus, arteriosclerosis is almost always the cause of myocardial infarction, cerebral vascular accident and vascular diseases of the lower extremities.
The following influences have been identified as contributing to the incidence and severity of atherosclerosis in vulnerable populations: high total calorie intake, high animal fat intake, high carbohydrate intake, elevated blood sugar levels, obesity, hypertension, sedentary occupation, a driving personality structure, a stressful life, and cigarette smoking (Morris, J. N., and Gardner, M. J.: EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE. AM. J. MED. 46: 647, 1969).
The medical profession is sharply divided over the control of atherosclerosis by modification of the diet and blood lipid levels. In general, most of the diet modifications take the form of lowering the total caloric intake, lowering fat intake, substituting polyunsaturated dietary fat for saturated fat and restriction of carbohydrate intake.
Prevention, rather than treatment, has been the goal since no evidence has been obtained in humans that atherosclerosis lesions can be made to regress.
As previously indicated, atherosclerosis has been found to be a cause of vascular diseases of the extremities; however, there are other causes. Sudden interruption of the blood supply to all or a portion of an extremity results in a spectrum of symptoms and signs which are dependent upon the location and extent of the occlusion and immediately available alternative circulatory routes. The major causes of acute arterial occlusion are embolism, thrombosis and injury. In the upper extremity the heart is the source of the emboli in an overwhelming majority of the patients with this problem. In the lower extremity over half of emboli will lodge in either the superficial femoral or the popliteal artery, the abdominal aorta, iliac arteris or the three major vessels distal to the popliteal artery may become occluded.
When acute arterial occlusion involves a critical segment of the arterial system and the potential for collateral circulation is poor the following symptoms are indicated: complaints of pain in the most distal part of the limb, this pain complaint is accompanied by pallor, coldness and a sensation of numbness. Subcutaneous hemorrhage, focal gangrene, and fixed staining of the skin develop within a relatively short period of time.
In situations where the collateral circulation is poor or inadequate, immediate operation has been required because of the high incidence of limb loss and subsequent disability if nonoperative treatment is employed. The surgical treatment may include one of the following: endarterectomy, embolectomy, thromboembolectomy, sympathectomy, bypass graft, or replacement of artery or arteries.
In advanced arterial insufficiency cases, surgical treatment failure may lead to the loss of a limb due to ischemia or gangrene or, in the most advanced cases, it may lead to death. In some cases treatment may consist of administration of anticoagulants, vasodilators, steroids, analgesics and sympathetic blocks together with dietary control; however, results are generally poor.
Other vascular diseases which may be treated by surgical treatment include gangrene, Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans), varices Raynaud's disease endarteritis obliterans, varicose ulcers, arterial thrombosis, venous thrombosis, varicose veins, ischemic ulcers and arteritis.
Surgical treatment in many cases is contraindicated as for example with patients suffering from diabetes mellitus and gangrene of an extremity. In these cases, amputation is quite commonly the only alternative. For cases such as these, and others as will become apparent to those skilled in the art, this invention provides an attractive alternative.